Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will review the restrictions that apply to grant eligibility for undertaking study at undergraduate level; his plans to introduce other tailored re-skilling or back to education programmes for graduates in job arrears in which demand has collapsed. [46424/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's student grant and free fees schemes, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants and free tuition fees where they satisfy the prescribed conditions of the individual schemes, including those relating to means, residency, nationality and previous academic attainment. In general, students who previously pursued a course of study are not eligible for grant assistance or free tuition fees in respect of a second period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant or tuition fees were paid previously.

The main objective of this policy is to assist as many students as possible in obtaining one undergraduate degree and in progressing, where appropriate, to a postgraduate course of study. Subject to the conditions of the individual schemes, free tuition and grants are available where students are progressing to a course at a higher level.

An approved course for the purposes of the Schemes means a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration and a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution.

While I have no plans at present to change the current progression requirements of the existing schemes, since the beginning of the year the Government has launched a number of new initiatives to support unemployed people return to education and engage in upskilling. In the higher education sector this includes the provision of 2,500 places to enable unemployed people to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses on a part-time basis. All 2,500 places are on courses that support the goals of the "Smart Economy" and particularly those relating to specific skills needs of exporting sectors identified by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. The scheme is open to people who have been on the Live Register for at least six months or who have been awarded statutory redundancy. Participants on the scheme are not required to pay the €1,500 registration fee and, while postgraduate students may be required to pay a nominal charge, students are not charged tuition fees. Participants who continue to meet all Department of Social and Family Affairs criteria on eligibility for Job Seekers Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance are entitled to retain their payments while studying on these programmes.

The scope to introduce further labour market activation initiatives is under consideration by my Department in the context of ongoing discussions with other Government Departments on developing appropriate upskilling training and education responses for unemployed people.